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Every year around this time, the pantheon of fine menswear purveyors sets up shop in a warehouse deep in the hinterlands of Manhattan. And every year around this time, we trek downtown to check it out. Since most brands show clothes that won’t be available for about six months—and because the show is enormous—we decided the best thing to do was break it down, using our patented scientific formula.

Two of the most storied rugged fabrics still in production are together at last.

Americana torchbearer Filson has gotten together with Scotland’s Harris Tweed to reissue their Original Briefcase in Twill and Tweed. (It even rolls off the tongue nicely.) It’s got Filson’s 22-ounce oil-finish rugged twill and the hearty, knotty Harris tweed that’s stood up to the punishment of the Scottish backcountry for over a century. And it should stand up to the rigors of your office commute—while injecting a bit more tweediness into your daily routine.

So they recently called up the legendary Harris Tweed factory in Scotland and ordered a few hundred yards of their finest Donegals, windowpanes and flecked herringbones, and sent the lot to their favorite labels to see what they’d come up with. The result: a handsome kaleidoscope of tweediness: totes from Filson, a spectacular blazer from Todd Snyder, a gaggle of cozy down-stuffed tweed from Crescent Down Works and more. You can find Unionmade Harris Tweed in its entirety here, if you’re considering the notion of more tweed in your life—a natural instinct around this time of year.

It’s not often that trad and athletic apparel intersect. (And even less often that it looks even remotely wearable.)

So we were pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this handsome jacket from the latest triple collaboration between NYC shop Kith, Scotland’s Harris Tweed and the Californian standard-bearers of the varsity jacket, Golden Bear. Here’s what else you should know.

The Story: Kith combined two of their loves, Harris Tweed and Golden Bear varsity jackets, to make a limited-run collection of two jackets and a vest.

Who to Channel: Michael J. Fox in the original Teen Wolf—if the movie were set in Edinburgh. (Not to be confused with Jason Bateman in Teen Wolf Too.)

When to Wear It: The quilted lining with the tweed and leather outer should have you in good shape through winter.

Degree of Difficulty: Low, as long as it’s the only article of tweed (or leather) you’re wearing. Exponentially higher if it’s not.

Now that our wardrobe is firmly in winter mode, we’re donning some variety of tweed on a near-daily basis. It’s some of the most versatile stuff in our closet. So to celebrate the season of tweed, we’ve put together a quick photoset of the fabric at its best. Take notes, gentlemen.

We usually have a hard time getting excited about gear that won’t be in stores for more than six months, but this one—from Schott's Perfecto brand—is the exception.

You might remember the shape as the classic Schott leather jacket, of the Ramones, Brando and a whole lot of bikers. The fabric, on the other hand, is genuine Harris Tweed, of Doctor Who, Miss Marple and a whole lot of Latin teachers.

We’re big fans of both, but we never would have imagined the quintessential biker item made from the stuffiest fabric in the UK. Needless to say, we can’t way to see this one in the wild once August rolls around.

Apparently letting a flock of sheep loose outside Selfridges was supposed to say something about the enduring appeal of British wool (which is responsible for Harris Tweed, among other things)…but we’re guessing that got lost around the time someone dyed them yellow.

Now that we’re headed into prime layering season, it’s worth brushing up on your fundamentals—and see how the pros do it when they’ve got a whole collection at their disposal.

This gentleman, lifted from Wings + Horns Fall/Winter lookbook, pulls it off just about perfectly. The goal is to keep your deep-winter coat in the closet as long as possible, and a good supply of sweaters, scarves and blazers can carry you all the way to Halloween.

The most important item, as you might have guessed, is that jacket. It’s a little professorial, but as you might have guessed from this month’s GQ, that’s not such a bad thing these days. And since older is better in this instance—and the magic words “Harris Tweed” just about assure you’ll get something beautiful—you should be able to find some real treasures in the vintage world. Just know your sizes and don’t be squeamish about taking them to the tailor.